Official mountain biking thread

really wanting to make the leap to a full suspension. dont want to get an "entry level" bike Id rather just spend a little more upfront and be set with a great ride. currently have my sights set on a trek remedy 9.7 thoughts? Im basically looking for anything that doesnt weigh a billion pounds, doesnt cost over like $4,500 and has 27.5+ size tires (2.6-2.8 in), and has a minimum of 140 of front travel any one have any sweet bikes that fit all of that?? Also trying to decide if I should keep my hardtail or if i should sell it to add money to my "new bike fund" its a trek roscoe 7 that Ive upgraded slightly (tubeless tires, dropper post) I love my hard tail, but will I ever want to ride it again once I get on the full squish life?? thoughts greatly appreciated!
 
I have a 2017 Giant Trance 3. This was all I could afford being I'm a student with an afterschool job. An important thing about giant is, they have their own facilities to manufacture their own bikes. Last time I was informed (this could have changed within a year so correct me if I'm wrong) Giant even built Specialized and Trek bikes. This makes a lot of sense considering the prices. When I was in the market I was looking at the Specialized Camber it didnt have the extra 'bling' that the Trance did and they were both about the same in cost. I also looked at the Trek Fuel EX5 (I believe, I kinda forget tbh) this bike had about the same amount of high quality to it but costed a hundred or two or three more than the Trance. All I'm saying is Giant is able to charge less for their bikes of higher quality than the competition because they dont have to pay a middleman to make their bikes.
 
13948027:frekalicious said:
really wanting to make the leap to a full suspension. dont want to get an "entry level" bike Id rather just spend a little more upfront and be set with a great ride. currently have my sights set on a trek remedy 9.7 thoughts? Im basically looking for anything that doesnt weigh a billion pounds, doesnt cost over like $4,500 and has 27.5+ size tires (2.6-2.8 in), and has a minimum of 140 of front travel any one have any sweet bikes that fit all of that?? Also trying to decide if I should keep my hardtail or if i should sell it to add money to my "new bike fund" its a trek roscoe 7 that Ive upgraded slightly (tubeless tires, dropper post) I love my hard tail, but will I ever want to ride it again once I get on the full squish life?? thoughts greatly appreciated!
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Why the plus size tires? That's really going to limit your choices and unless you only rode samdy/muddy trails I find them slow and they take the fun out of cornering. Maybe look into a used Ibis Mojo HD3 or the Pivot Mach series. Both are compatible with plus size tires.

13948029:FruitCakeBlake said:
I have a 2017 Giant Trance 3. This was all I could afford being I'm a student with an afterschool job. An important thing about giant is, they have their own facilities to manufacture their own bikes. Last time I was informed (this could have changed within a year so correct me if I'm wrong) Giant even built Specialized and Trek bikes. This makes a lot of sense considering the prices. When I was in the market I was looking at the Specialized Camber it didnt have the extra 'bling' that the Trance did and they were both about the same in cost. I also looked at the Trek Fuel EX5 (I believe, I kinda forget tbh) this bike had about the same amount of high quality to it but costed a hundred or two or three more than the Trance. All I'm saying is Giant is able to charge less for their bikes of higher quality than the competition because they dont have to pay a middleman to make their bikes.
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Giant has manufactured frames for nearly every company on the market at one point or another. They're the Elan skis of the bike industry. Two of my favorite bikes I've owned were Giants (the original STP and the original Trance)
 
13948073:ThaLorax said:
Why the plus size tires? That's really going to limit your choices and unless you only rode samdy/muddy trails I find them slow and they take the fun out of cornering. Maybe look into a used Ibis Mojo HD3 or the Pivot Mach series. Both are compatible with plus size tires.

Giant has manufactured frames for nearly every company on the market at one point or another. They're the Elan skis of the bike industry. Two of my favorite bikes I've owned were Giants (the original STP and the original Trance)
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Ive demoed a few bikes that had regular size tires and felt super super sketched out (my hardtail has 2.8" tires) and I love how they ride on my hard tail. So its just a comfort thing. every time I try not plus size tires I just am super not used to how much the bike gets thrown around in rocky sections compared to my bike
 
13948076:frekalicious said:
Ive demoed a few bikes that had regular size tires and felt super super sketched out (my hardtail has 2.8" tires) and I love how they ride on my hard tail. So its just a comfort thing. every time I try not plus size tires I just am super not used to how much the bike gets thrown around in rocky sections compared to my bike
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Maybe look at a few 29ers? The extra width might make you feel a bit more comfortable and you dont have that 27.5+ weirdness going on. I would recommend trying to sell your hardtail and moving on to the full suspension life. Once you get into it and get a bike that can travel comfortably uphill, youll never go back.

Ive personally have got the Marin Attack Trail Pro with 160 in front and 150 in the rear, ive never been left behind going uphill and can boost a lot of people on the downhill even without a dual crown...
 
13948080:cozzey said:
Maybe look at a few 29ers? The extra width might make you feel a bit more comfortable and you dont have that 27.5+ weirdness going on. I would recommend trying to sell your hardtail and moving on to the full suspension life. Once you get into it and get a bike that can travel comfortably uphill, youll never go back.

Ive personally have got the Marin Attack Trail Pro with 160 in front and 150 in the rear, ive never been left behind going uphill and can boost a lot of people on the downhill even without a dual crown...
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That sounds pretty damn similar to the remedy Im looking at 160 up front 150 in the back. solid advice thanks!
 
13948080:cozzey said:
Ive personally have got the Marin Attack Trail Pro with 160 in front and 150 in the rear, ive never been left behind going uphill and can boost a lot of people on the downhill even without a dual crown...
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The Attack Trail looks like a fun bike. It's too bad they discontinued it. The Wolf Ridge looks so ugly but so fun.

13948107:Poindexter. said:
I remember someone in this thread posting about getting the Rossi MTB, got any updates? The prodeal I get is insane
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It's just a Felt bike, which are like buying Rossi skis. They're decent but not great. Rossi bought Felt and as far as I know, they haven't changed much aside from the name.

13948109:frekalicious said:
That sounds pretty damn similar to the remedy Im looking at 160 up front 150 in the back. solid advice thanks!
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I personally think the HD4 (or HD3) and the Pivot Switchblade (this is what I meant earlier, the Mach series is for regular 27.5) would be way more fun than the remedy.
 
13948155:jblaski said:
Utah riding is about as perfect as it gets right now.
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Moving to PC soon and was there last week, rode evil empire to Black Forest after some moisture. Dang it was good.
 
13948142:ThaLorax said:
The Attack Trail looks like a fun bike. It's too bad they discontinued it. The Wolf Ridge looks so ugly but so fun.

It's just a Felt bike, which are like buying Rossi skis. They're decent but not great. Rossi bought Felt and as far as I know, they haven't changed much aside from the name.

I personally think the HD4 (or HD3) and the Pivot Switchblade (this is what I meant earlier, the Mach series is for regular 27.5) would be way more fun than the remedy.
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It is super fun bike. It stays relatively grounded which is good for trail riding but can get up when you want it to. The travel is perfect for mild Colorado riding and even a majority of the downhill trails can be handlers by it. My one problem is that the cockpit is a bit small/cramped so I wish I had sized up, I think I might buy a longer stem to try and get a bit further out.
 
Whats everyones thoughts on enduro? I used to ride and place really well racing XC but now i'm kinda done with the lycra. I think I could place well riding enduro but it seems dummy expensive to race. Worth it?
 
13948155:jblaski said:
Utah riding is about as perfect as it gets right now.
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We got a foot of snow in Calgary last week and about two feet in the foothills and mountains where the trails are. Looks like the season is pretty much over for us...
 
Mud season just hit full swing I'm Aspen, so I went on a slightly less muddy ride in Carbondale yesterday. Totally forgot how fun this trail is. Well worth the 5 mile slog up a steep service road. Steep, flowy, tons of berms and jumps through a natural gully/drainage and about 2,000ft descent back to the car (the trail along the ridge in this pic is not the trail). Definitely ate it pretty hard coming around a steep dry corner into a muddy section though

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13948366:CLQ said:
Whats everyones thoughts on enduro? I used to ride and place really well racing XC but now i'm kinda done with the lycra. I think I could place well riding enduro but it seems dummy expensive to race. Worth it?
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only one way to find out
 
Anybody have an extra 50mm stem (or shorter) sitting around they'd like to part with? Looking for a 1 1/8" stem clamp and 31.8mm handlbar clamp. I have a 70mm Truvative Team stem I'd trade or it. Also willing to pay.
 
13949432:r00kie said:
Anyone evee built a wheel before? As in assembling hub, spokes, and rim? If so any advice would be great
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I did I once way back I'm HS. Lacing a wheel is a pain in the ass. There's several specific tools you need, unless you have access to a bike shop that will let you do it there
 
13949540:ThaLorax said:
I did I once way back I'm HS. Lacing a wheel is a pain in the ass. There's several specific tools you need, unless you have access to a bike shop that will let you do it there
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Thats what Im finding, I tried mimicking the lace pattern off youtube buy couldnt get it right. Support LBS time or something like that.
 
13949255:ThaLorax said:
Anybody have an extra 50mm stem (or shorter) sitting around they'd like to part with? Looking for a 1 1/8" stem clamp and 31.8mm handlbar clamp. I have a 70mm Truvative Team stem I'd trade or it. Also willing to pay.
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I’ve got a Gamut Cillos 40mm stem that fits those dimensions. It’s worth a bit more than the Truvativ 70 mm though so I’d either have to just sell it and get a new one or trade with some cash
 
13949686:cozzey said:
I’ve got a Gamut Cillos 40mm stem that fits those dimensions. It’s worth a bit more than the Truvativ 70 mm though so I’d either have to just sell it and get a new one or trade with some cash
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Thanks dude! I actually just bought a Funn Funnduro 35mm stem from chainreactioncycles. If I don't like it, I'll hit you up for sure.
 
Been having so much fun biking lately even though the bike park season are over, so nice to go out early in morning when the ground is still frozen and there is no mud. Any thoughts on the Garmin edge 520 plus, is it worth it for mountain biking? Sounds pretty nice to be able to download others Strava routs and not have to spend a bunch of time checking the phone GPS when biking new places, but the screen may be a bit small for mountain biking and finding strava routs may be more of an hassle than its worth?

And a photo to share some stoke (the dork disc have been removed since)

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Anyone in here dig? Build trail? Id love to see some of what people are working on. Myself and a friend are building a nice litte loamer. Here's some of our progress. (yes, we arent doing much "building", really more of a rake and ride, but i have some features planned out and we have done a lot of drain and berm work a bit higher on our trail.)

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13951886:GANDALF said:
Anyone in here dig? Build trail? Id love to see some of what people are working on. Myself and a friend are building a nice litte loamer. Here's some of our progress. (yes, we arent doing much "building", really more of a rake and ride, but i have some features planned out and we have done a lot of drain and berm work a bit higher on our trail.)
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Thats dope man, what type of land is this on, private? Must be pretty satisfying riding something you made yourself.
 
13951910:Willgum said:
Thats dope man, what type of land is this on, private? Must be pretty satisfying riding something you made yourself.
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who gives a shit. all my trails are on private land. they just don't know about it.
 
13952442:Poindexter. said:
sup dudes, so ive been slammin around on my budget bike for a while and its hella fun and super sick dont get me wrong, but the next bike is always around the corner.

i like to climb high and get my descents that way, so climbing efficiency is pretty important, but i still like to go fast downhill. I've started looking at bikes designed around 130 in travel

anyone got suggestions of what you like?
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I always thought the commencal meta 130 looked cool, never riden one thoght. The YT jeffsy is also a really good bike up and down. I have the new capra 29, it shreds but is not the most efficient on tge uphill.
 
13952442:Poindexter. said:
sup dudes, so ive been slammin around on my budget bike for a while and its hella fun and super sick dont get me wrong, but the next bike is always around the corner.

i like to climb high and get my descents that way, so climbing efficiency is pretty important, but i still like to go fast downhill. I've started looking at bikes designed around 130 in travel

anyone got suggestions of what you like?
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What I like or what I like thats not crazy expensive? Pivot Mach 5.5 is the perfect bike IMO. I haven't ridden a bike thats comes close to that bike. This is coming from someone that "owns" 3 Yetis and demoed a bunch of bikes at outerbike last year.
 
13952442:Poindexter. said:
sup dudes, so ive been slammin around on my budget bike for a while and its hella fun and super sick dont get me wrong, but the next bike is always around the corner.

i like to climb high and get my descents that way, so climbing efficiency is pretty important, but i still like to go fast downhill. I've started looking at bikes designed around 130 in travel

anyone got suggestions of what you like?
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The Transition Scout was one of the most fun bikes I've ever ridden. I want to snag one before they discontinue it (they already stopped selling it in carbon), but I definitely don't have the budget for a new bike right now.
 
13952637:ThaLorax said:
The Transition Scout was one of the most fun bikes I've ever ridden. I want to snag one before they discontinue it (they already stopped selling it in carbon), but I definitely don't have the budget for a new bike right now.
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That doesn't mean they are discontinuing it. They just redid all their bikes geo this year to their new SBG. New carbon molds are very expensive. At first they only did the Smuggler and Sentinel in carbon. Now for 2019 they are doing the Patrol as well. I bet next year they will have the Scout back in carbon.
 
13952726:jKutcher said:
That doesn't mean they are discontinuing it. They just redid all their bikes geo this year to their new SBG. New carbon molds are very expensive. At first they only did the Smuggler and Sentinel in carbon. Now for 2019 they are doing the Patrol as well. I bet next year they will have the Scout back in carbon.
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Good point on the carbon molds. I actually emailed them asking about discontinuing the carbon though, and got this response, "We did, sorry. Why I have no idea, probably because it was a lesser popular model for us. However who knows what the future holds for that bike."

**This post was edited on Oct 22nd 2018 at 1:21:02pm
 
13952726:jKutcher said:
That doesn't mean they are discontinuing it. They just redid all their bikes geo this year to their new SBG. New carbon molds are very expensive. At first they only did the Smuggler and Sentinel in carbon. Now for 2019 they are doing the Patrol as well. I bet next year they will have the Scout back in carbon.
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I just bought my wife a 2019 scout in that sexy blue color. she absolutely loves it. might have to borrow it a few times. I think my next bike purchase will be a patrol alloy. I have a carbon trail bike, so might just run the patrol for shuttle/steeps.

As for discontinuing the scout, they better not. that bike is perfect for jumping/jibbing/trail.
 
I recently picked up a 2019 transition alloy patrol . Such a fun, playful bike. I demoed the scout as well. For me, the patrol's descending ability far outweighed any benefits the scout had over the patrol. I'd much rather struggle a tiny bit more on the climb to have more fun on the downhill
 
13952806:old.man.tibbles said:
I recently picked up a 2019 transition alloy patrol . Such a fun, playful bike. I demoed the scout as well. For me, the patrol's descending ability far outweighed any benefits the scout had over the patrol. I'd much rather struggle a tiny bit more on the climb to have more fun on the downhill
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That's interesting. I usually like longer travel bikes. However, when I demoed the Scout and the Patrol, I liked the way the Scout handled better on the DH than the Patrol. I didn't find the Patrol very playful, I found it more of a plow bike.... but most people disagree with me on that. The Scout climbs great and is soooo playful on the way down. I think the Patrol in a size small may have still been a bit too large for my short ass though.
 
13952841:ThaLorax said:
That's interesting. I usually like longer travel bikes. However, when I demoed the Scout and the Patrol, I liked the way the Scout handled better on the DH than the Patrol. I didn't find the Patrol very playful, I found it more of a plow bike.... but most people disagree with me on that. The Scout climbs great and is soooo playful on the way down. I think the Patrol in a size small may have still been a bit too large for my short ass though.
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I could possibly see the scout being better railing turns on smooth flowy trails. The patrol's geometry just felt way more confidence inspiring for me when stuff got steep and fast. As for the patrol not feeling playful for you, I'm not sure, as you said I think most people would say that it is. As far as I can tell it's a fairly heavy bike for its class, and if the small felt big you must be a pretty small guy, so possibly that has something to do with it. I'm on the short side too at 5'7'' and the medium fits me like a charm, but I do have a high ape index.
 
The alloy patrol is a lot more like a sled. Not that it isnt playful, sounds like Lorax might have had too much bike underneath him. The carbon patrol is going to be much more snappier, stiffer, and playful than the alloy. Its the same bike, but its a much different ride feel. Transition is notorious for having overbuilt bikes, but thats for a reason. I'd say 75% of the people who own a patrol dont need one. Its a lot of bike, especially the new version of it. The scout is extremely capable and i feel like a lot of the people who own a patrol would be better suited on a scout for the riding they are doing.
 
13952923:old.man.tibbles said:
I could possibly see the scout being better railing turns on smooth flowy trails. The patrol's geometry just felt way more confidence inspiring for me when stuff got steep and fast. As for the patrol not feeling playful for you, I'm not sure, as you said I think most people would say that it is. As far as I can tell it's a fairly heavy bike for its class, and if the small felt big you must be a pretty small guy, so possibly that has something to do with it. I'm on the short side too at 5'7'' and the medium fits me like a charm, but I do have a high ape index.
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I only had the chance to ride both the Patrol and the Scout on a lift accessed flow trail with medium-large sized jumps. And yes, I am quite short. I'm 5'2". My biggest gripe was that the saddle/seat tube on both models were too high and kept bucking me on jumps. I'm used to riding my 26" Ibis Mojo HD w/ 160mm travel, which kinda fits in the middle of the Scout and the Patrol. Handles a lot like the Scout with the DH prowess of the Patrol.

13952934:GANDALF said:
The alloy patrol is a lot more like a sled. Not that it isnt playful, sounds like Lorax might have had too much bike underneath him. The carbon patrol is going to be much more snappier, stiffer, and playful than the alloy. Its the same bike, but its a much different ride feel. Transition is notorious for having overbuilt bikes, but thats for a reason. I'd say 75% of the people who own a patrol dont need one. Its a lot of bike, especially the new version of it. The scout is extremely capable and i feel like a lot of the people who own a patrol would be better suited on a scout for the riding they are doing.
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I've ridden both the carbon and aluminium Patrol. I want to like the Patrol so bad, I think the geometry just doesn't work for me. Also, I completely agree that most people ride a bike with more travel than they need.
 
Count me in on the over biked category. Got a 2019 Nomad recently. Thing is an absolute blast. Its way more than I need for the trails I ride the most but I have trails within reach that I ride semi regularly that make me happy I have the bigger bike. Realistically I could be good on a Scout/5010/whatever but it sure is a good time. Even took it on a 23 mile 4K vert ride the other day and it performed quite well.

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13953063:jKutcher said:
Count me in on the over biked category. Got a 2019 Nomad recently. Thing is an absolute blast. Its way more than I need for the trails I ride the most but I have trails within reach that I ride semi regularly that make me happy I have the bigger bike. Realistically I could be good on a Scout/5010/whatever but it sure is a good time. Even took it on a 23 mile 4K vert ride the other day and it performed quite well.

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Now there's a bike that's changed a lot over the years. Sweet setup.
 
13953063:jKutcher said:
Count me in on the over biked category. Got a 2019 Nomad recently. Thing is an absolute blast. Its way more than I need for the trails I ride the most but I have trails within reach that I ride semi regularly that make me happy I have the bigger bike. Realistically I could be good on a Scout/5010/whatever but it sure is a good time. Even took it on a 23 mile 4K vert ride the other day and it performed quite well.

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YEW!

I almost feel like the new Bronson and Nomad defy "over biking" because they're so playful at slower speeds and pedal so well. Lady friend put 30 miles and 6k on the Strega on her second day on it haha.

That said, bikes like the Process 111, the new SB100, and the Smuggler have their appeal for sure.
 
13952934:GANDALF said:
The alloy patrol is a lot more like a sled. Not that it isnt playful, sounds like Lorax might have had too much bike underneath him. The carbon patrol is going to be much more snappier, stiffer, and playful than the alloy. Its the same bike, but its a much different ride feel. Transition is notorious for having overbuilt bikes, but thats for a reason. I'd say 75% of the people who own a patrol dont need one. Its a lot of bike, especially the new version of it. The scout is extremely capable and i feel like a lot of the people who own a patrol would be better suited on a scout for the riding they are doing.
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Didn't realize there was that much difference in ride feel. I was talking to the transition guys at outerbike and they were telling me I'd mostly just notice the weight if I upgraded to carbon.

Not ashamed to admit I probably fall into that 75%. My gut told me the patrol just felt right when demoing, so I trusted that. I'm all smiles every time I hit the trail, and that's most important to me. I'm not racing or anything so don't care about climbing times, and the patrol has only made me fitter. Yeah the patrol is probably overkill when I'm out pedaling on everyday trails, but I'm not in a position to own multiple bikes so this is my lift accessed bike as well.
 
13953309:old.man.tibbles said:
Didn't realize there was that much difference in ride feel. I was talking to the transition guys at outerbike and they were telling me I'd mostly just notice the weight if I upgraded to carbon.

Not ashamed to admit I probably fall into that 75%. My gut told me the patrol just felt right when demoing, so I trusted that. I'm all smiles every time I hit the trail, and that's most important to me. I'm not racing or anything so don't care about climbing times, and the patrol has only made me fitter. Yeah the patrol is probably overkill when I'm out pedaling on everyday trails, but I'm not in a position to own multiple bikes so this is my lift accessed bike as well.
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Personally, the increased stiffness was the biggest change that I noticed when I switched from my old aluminium bike to my current carbon bike. Also, getting used to the fact that carbon snaps when alu bends... but carbon has come a long way in just the past 5 years.

My Mojo HD is more than I need on most trails too, but it's great to have that extra travel when you need it. That extra cushion for the pushin feels good.
 
I'm gonna be posting my bike for sale in the near future, but I figured i'd at least start here. If anyone has any questions or is seriously interested, please PM me. It comes with a cool sticker on it too!

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13953422:GANDALF said:
I'm gonna be posting my bike for sale in the near future, but I figured i'd at least start here. If anyone has any questions or is seriously interested, please PM me. It comes with a cool sticker on it too!

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hey dude..... nice bike:)
 
Borrowing a friends Ibis Haka with a dropper post on it this weekend and I'm already laughing about how much fun its about to be.
 
13954504:DingoSean said:
Borrowing a friends Ibis Haka with a dropper post on it this weekend and I'm already laughing about how much fun its about to be.
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Geeks are for gravel bikes. Wait, I mean gravel bikes are for geeks.
 
13954553:ThaLorax said:
Geeks are for gravel bikes. Wait, I mean gravel bikes are for geeks.
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Well call me a geek, because that was stupid fun. Made mobbing moderate trails really entertaining.

I now want a carbon gravel bike, and lycra so I can make you uncomfortable.
 
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